Teat cup inflation

ABSTRACT

A teat cup assembly for an automatic milking machine including an inflation assembly having a retaining diaphragm integrally formed with the cup liner for engaging the teat of a cow to retain the cup against falling off while venting the space between the teat and liner at the end point of milking. The inflation is formed by initially molding the liner and diaphragm from a single mass of resilient elastic material, with the diaphragm having vent means integrally formed thereon to permit the egress of air into the liner at the end point of the milking operation. The configuration of the vent means facilitates molding the liner and diaphragm as a unitary structure.

United States Patent 15 3,659,557 Noorlander 1 May 2, 1972 541 TEAT CUPINFLATION 3,158,136 11/1964 George ..119/14.52

[72] Inventor: Daniel 0. Noorlander, 5707 North Bond,

Fresno, Calif. 93710 Primary Examiner-Hugh R. Chamblee AttorneyBeveridge& De Grandi [5 7] ABSTRACT A teat cup assembly for an automatic milkingmachine including an inflation assembly having a retaining diaphragmintegrally formed with the cup liner for engaging the teat of a cow toretain the cup against falling ofi while venting the space between theteat and liner at the end point of milking. The inflation is formed byinitially molding the liner and diaphragm from a single mass ofresilient elnstic material, with the diaphragm having vent meansintegrally formed thereon to permit the egress of air into the liner atthe end point of the milking operation. The configuration of the ventmeans facilitates molding the liner and diaphragm as a unitarystructure.

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented May 2, 1972 FIG. I

FIG.2

INVENTOR DANIEL O. NOORLANDER ATTORNEYS:

TEAT CUP INFLATION This invention relates to vacuum operated automaticmilking machines, and more particularly to an improved teat cupinflation employed in such machines and to an improved method of formingthe inflation.

As is well known, conventional commercial automatic milking machinesemploy teat cup assemblies including a hollow rigid outer shell, or cup,adapted to be attached to a pulsating vacuum line, and a resilient,tubular liner positioned within the cup and sealed at each end thereofto receive the cows teat. The teat is inserted into the upper end of theliner, and a vacuum milk line is attached to the lower end to draw themilk from the cow. In my prior US. Pat. No. 3,308,788 there is discloseda teat cup assembly in which a resilient disk element is mounted on theopen top of the teat cup in position to engage the cows teat andresiliently retain the cup against falling oi? the teat at the end pointof milking, and simultaneously to permit the egress of air into theliner to permit the teat to collapse after the milk has all been drawnfrom the udder. As explained in my prior patent, a major cause ofmastitis in cows results from the teat cup liner preventing the teatfrom collapsing when all the milk has been drawn therefrom, therebypermitting negative pressure to build up inside the teat cistern. Whenthis happens, the negative pressure will not only cause internal tissuedamage, thus enhancing the growth of certain types of bacteria such asstaphylococcus, but may also permit a backflow of contaminated milk andair into the cistern. My prior US. Pat., identified above, provided ateat cup assembly which avoided this serious defect by permitting theegress of air into the cup liner and down the sides of the teat topermit the teat to collapse as all the milk is drawn from the udder,while simultaneously preventing the teat cup from falling off when theteat collapses.

While my prior teat cup assembly has proven highly successful in theprevention of some types of mastitis, it has been relatively expensiveboth to manufacture and to maintain because of the number of individualcomponents in the assembly. Accordingly, it is a primary object of thepresent invention to provide an improved teat cup assembly for use withautomatic milking machines.

Another object is to provide an improved inflation including a unitaryliner element retaining diaphragm for use in a teat cup assembly of anautomatic milking machine.

Another object is to provide an improved method of forming a teat cupinflation.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are attained in a teatcup assembly according to the present invention in which the teat cupliner and the retaining diaphragm are initially molded, from a singlemass of resilient elastic material, in the form of an elongated hollowtubular element. The tubular element includes a body portion adapted toreceive the teat of the cow, which body portion terminates at its lowerend in a reduced diameter outlet section adapted to be attached to thevacuum milk lines of the milking system and at its upper end in adiaphragm-forming segment having a plurality of longitudinally extendingcorrugations formed therein. The periphery of the body portion and ofthe diaphragm-forming portion are substantially equal; however, thecorrugations are spaced around the entire periphery of thediaphragm-forming portion so that the mean diameter of this portion issubstantially less than that of the body portion. Thus, in itsunstressed state, the molded resilient tubular element has a section ofreduced diameter at each end. However, by maintaining the periphery ofthe diaphragm-forming segment substantially equal to the periphery ofthe body portion, it has been found that a mold core can be withdrawnfrom this end promptly upon completion of the molding process withoutdamaging the resilient molded tubular element.

After the tubular element has been formed, preferably by injectionmolding employing a book molding procedure, an expansion ring isinserted in the open end thereof at the junction of the body anddiaphragm-forming portions. The outside diameter of the expansion ringis substantially greater than the internal diameter of the body portionwhereby the tubular element is stretched outwardly to form a shoulderadapted to be received on a ledge in the rigid cup. By thus stretchingits open end, the diaphragm-forming portion is deflected inwardly to aposition extending substantially transversally of the longitudinal axisof the body portion. By positioning the expansion ring the properdistance from the open end of the diaphragmforming portion of the tube,this open end will form a central opening in the diaphragm which is ofsubstantially less diameter than the diameter of the body portion. Thecorrugations in the diaphragm-forming portion will cause this centralopening to be undulated and readily deflected inward to accommodate theteat of a cow. The undulations provide for the egress of air into theliner at the end point of milking to permit the teat to collapse, whileat the same time retaining the cup from falling off the collapsed teat.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description, taken in conjunction with thedrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the components of a teat cupinflation according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view, in section, of a teat cup assemblyemploying the improved inflation of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the teat cup assembly illustrated in FIG.2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a teat cup assembly accordingto the present invention is indicated generally by the referencenumerial 10 and includes a rigid elongated cupshaped outer shell number12 preferably formed from transparent synthetic resin or plasticmaterial. Shell 12 has an opening 14 in its bottom surface to permit thelower, or outlet end of inflation member 16 to extend therethrough. Thetop portion of shell 12 terminates adjacent its open end in an outwardlyextending ledge or flange l8 and an upwardly extending rim portion 20,with ledge 18 and rim 20 cooperating to define a seat and retaining ringfor inflation 16. A nipple 22 is formed on the side of the shell 12 andhas an opening 24 extending therethrough to provide fluid communicationfor connecting a pulsator (not shown) to provide a pulsating vacuumwithin the space 26 between the wall of the shell 12 and the inflation16.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, it is seen that the inflation 16comprises an elongated tubular liner element 30 which isinjection-molded from a single homogenuous mass of resilient elasticmaterial, and an annular metal expansion ring 31. The liner 30 includesan elongated cylindrical body portion 32 for receiving the teat of acow, a lower outlet portion 34 having a reduced diameter for passingthrough the opening 14 in cup 12 to be attached to the vacuum milk lineof a conventional milking machine (not shown), and a diaphragm-formingportion 36 integrally molded on the top of the body 32. The periphery ofthe diaphragm-forming portion 36 is preferably substantially equal tothat of the body portion 30; however, diaphragm-forming portion 36 has aplurality of axially extending, parallel corrugations 38 fonned thereinat spaced intervals around its periphery so that the mean diameter ofthe diaphragm-forming portion is substantially less than that of thebody portion 32. Thus, it is seen that liner element 30, in itsunstressed state, has a necked-down portion at each end thereof, whichcondition does not normally lend itself readily to injection molding.However, since the periphery of the diaphragm-forming portion 36 issubstantially equal to that of the body portion 32, the corrugations 38permit this diaphragm-forming portion 36 to expand so that the mold coremay be withdrawn upon completion of the injecting molding process.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it is seen that the expansion ring 31 isinserted into the open top end of liner 30 to a position about adjacentto the junction of the body portion 32 and diaphragm-forming portion 36,which junction area is indicated generally at 40 in FIG. 1. Since theoutside diameter of the expansion ring 31 is substantially greater thanthe diameter of body portion 32 or of the mean diameter ofdiaphragmforming portion 36, the liner 30 is expanded substantially inthe area of junction 40 to form an enlarged head 42 adapted to seatfirmly on the ledge 18 and be resiliently gripped around its outerperiphery by the retaining rim 20 to retain the inflation in positionwithin the shell 12. In this position, the outlet portion 34 extendsthrough and is retained in opening 14 by an enlarged retainer ringportion 49 in position to be connected to a vacuum milk line in a mannersimilar to that shown in my prior US. Pat. No. 2,997,980.

By radially expanding the liner 32 ata point spaced from the top openend thereof, the diaphragm-forming portion 36 is deflected inwardlysubstantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the liner to form adiaphragm 44 with the open end of the liner forming a central opening 48in the diaphragm which is concentric with the body portion 32.

Still referring to FIG. 2, it is seen that, by spacing the expansionring 31 from the open end 46 of the liner 30 a distance which is greaterthan the difference between the diameter 11-3 of the expansion ring 31and the diameter d-2 of the body portion 32, then the diameter d-l ofthe central opening 48 of diaphragm 44 will be less than the diameter ofthe body 32. The undulations in diaphragm 44, near the central opening48 therein, readily accommodate the slight compressive "force around theinner periphery of the opening 48 so that the diaphragm 44 maintains itsgenerally transverse position relative to the axis of the liner 30 eventhough the diameter d-l of opening 48 is less than the mean diameter ofthe unstressed diaphragm-forming segment and substantially less than thediameter 11-2 of body portion 32. This ability of the corrugations toaccommodate compression forces near the central portion of diaphragm 44makes it possible, by slight movement of the axial position of expansionring 31, to adjust the diameter d-l of the central opening 48, withinreasonable limits, to provide the necessary gripping force on the teatof the cow without materially affecting the ability of the diaphragm toexpand to receive any size teat without restricting the flow of blood ormilk, and at the same time having the ability to vent the space betweenthe teat and liner to permit the teat to collapse when milk pressuredrops at the end point of milking.

As in the case of the assembly shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No.3,308,788, theteat cup assembly according to the present invention isinstalled on a cow by inserting the teat through the central opening 48into the body portion 32 of the liner 30. By providing a central opening48 which has a diameter that is normally somewhat less than that of acows teat, the diaphragm 44 will'be deflected inwardly to assume anovercenter, substantially frusto-conical configuration expanding thediameter d-l of opening 48 and resiliently engaging the teat in themanner described in my prior patent. The undulations formed by thecorrugations 38 around the periphery of 7 opening 48 will readily permitthe egress of air into the interior of the lining and around the teat atthe end point of milking to permit the teat to collapse. However, thediaphragm will continue to resiliently grip the teat to effectivelyprevent the cup from falling off after the teat has collapsed. Toprovide for adequate venting of the liner at the end point of themilking, and to provide a more uniform compression of the innerperiphery of the central opening 48, there should be at least four andpreferably six corrugations 38 in the diaphragm 44.

From the above, it is seen that a principal feature of my improved teatcup assembly resides in providing an inflation which includes a unitaryteat cup liner and retaining diaphragm which effectively combatsmastitis by preventing the reduction of pressure below atmosphericwithin the teat cistern when all the milk has been drawn from the cow'sudder. This unitary construction of the diaphragm and the liner greatlysimplifies manufacture and maintenance of the teat cups, and thereforeresults in greater economy to the milk producer. By molding corrugationsin the diaphragm-forming portion of the liner, then applying a uniformradical tensile, or stretching, force to its lower end, this portionassumes a position substantially normal to the axis of the liner.Further, the corrugations readily accommodate compressive stresses inthe portion of the diaphragm, so formed, thereby making it practi= calto provide a central opening in the diaphragm having a diameter which issubstantially less than the diameter of the body portion of the liner.

While I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish itunderstood that I do not intend to be restricted solely thereto, butthat I do intend to include all embodiments thereof which would beapparent to one skilled in the art and which come within the spirit andscope of my invention.

I claim:

1. An inflation for use in a teat cup assembly for automatic milkingmachines employing a vacuum milk line and a vacuum pulsator, said cupassembly including a rigid substantially cylindrical outer shell havinga ledge extending around its inner periphery adjacent its upper enddefining an inflation seat, the improvement wherein said inflationcomprises an elongated hollow cup liner having a body portion adapted toreceive the teat of a cow, said body portion terminating at its lowerend in an outlet adapted to be attached to the vacuum milk line of amilking machine and at its upper end in a retaining diaphragm extendingsubstantially transverse to said body portion and having a centralopening therein coaxial with and having a diameter less than thediameter of said body portion, said body portion and said retainingdiaphragm being integrally molded from a single homogeneous mass ofresilient elastic material, and vent means integrally formed on saiddiaphragm for permitting the egress of air into said liner at the endpoint of milking, said vent means including a plurality of radiallyextending corrugations formed on said diaphragm whereby the periphery ofsaid central opening in undulated, said cup liner and said diaphragmbeing initially molded as portions of a unitary coaxial tube with saidbody portion and the diaphragm portion having substantially equalperipheries, said corrugations extending generally coaxially of saiddiaphragm portion whereby the mean diameter of said diaphragm portion issubstantially less than the diameter of said body portion, and anexpansion ring being mounted within said body portion whereby saiddiaphragm is deflected inwardly substantially transverse to thelongitudinal axis of said body portion.

2. The inflation defined in claim 1 wherein said vent means comprises aplurality of radially extending corrugations formed on said diaphragmwhereby the periphery of said central opening is undulated.

3. The inflation defined in claim 1 wherein said opening is said lowerend has a periphery substantially less than the periphery of said bodyportion.

4. In a teat cup assembly for an automatic milking machine of the typeemploying a vacuum milk line and a vacuum pulsator, said cup assemblyincluding a rigid outer cylindrical shell having an enlarged portion atthe upper open end thereof defining an inflation seat and retainingring, and a resilient inflation mounted coaxially within said cup andbeing retained on said seat by said retaining ring, the improvementwherein said inflation comprises an elongated hollow cup liner memberintegrally molded from a single homogeneous mass of resilient elasticmaterial, said liner including an open bottom end adapted to beconnected to the vacuum milk line of the milking machine and a bodyportion adapted to receive the teat of a cow, said body portionterminating adjacent its top end in a diaphragm-forming segment having aplurality of axially extending corrugations forrned therein, saidcorrugations being spaced around the periphery of said body whereby themean diameter of said diaphragm-forming portion is substantiallyreduced, and an expansion ring having an outer periphery substantiallylarger than the internal periphery of said body portion positioned insaid portion in fixed spaced relation from saidtop end whereby saiddiaphragm-forming segment is deflected inward substantially transverselyto the longitudinal axis of said body portion to define a retainingdiaphragm having an undulated central opening therein defined by theopen top end of said body portion, said undulated central opening beingof a diameter less than the diameter of said body portion whereby atleast a portion of said diaphragm adjacent said central opening isnormally maintained under a light compressive force, said retainingdiaphragm being adapted to be deflected inwardly of said body portion toengage a cows teat at said periphery to retain the cup assembly fromfalling off the teat with said corrugations permitting the egress of airbetween the teat and said body portion at the end point of milking.

5. The teat cup assembly defined in claim 4 wherein the distance fromsaid open top end to said expansion ring is greater than the differencein the diameter of said expansion ring and said body portion whereby thediameter of said central opening is normally less than the diameter ofsaid body portion, said corrugations permitting said diaphragm to bereadily deflected axially inward to expand said central opening tosubstantially the diameter of said body portion to accommodate the teatof a cow.

6. The teat cup assembly defined in claim 5 wherein the diameter of saidbottom end is substantially less than the diameter of said body portion.

7. The teat cup assembly defined in claim 5 wherein there are at leastfour of said corrugations formed in said diaphragm portion.

8. The teat cup assembly defined in claim 5 wherein there are six ofsaid corrugations in said diaphragm.

9. A method of forming an inflation for use in a teat cup assembly of anautomatic milking machine, comprising the steps of molding an elongatedtubular member including a substantially cylindrical body portion withan outlet at one end and a plurality of circumferentially spacedcorrugations formed in its side walls at the other end thereof, saidcorrugations extending axially from the open end of said tubular memberto define a diaphragm-fomiing portion at said other end, the peripheryof said diaphragm-forming portion being substantially equal to that ofsaid body portion with said corrugations producing a mean diameter ofsaid diaphragm-forming portion which is substantially less than thediameter of said body portion, and installing an annular expansion ringcoaxially within said tubular member adjacent the junction thereof withsaid diaphragm-forming portion, said expansion ring having a diametersubstantially greater than the diameter of said body portion wherebysaid tubular member is radially expanded to form a head thereon to seatsaid inflation in a rigid teat cup shell and to deform saiddiaphragm-forming portion into a substantially disk-shaped diaphragmhaving a central opening therein coaxial with said body portion, saidcorrugations producing an undulated periphery on said central opening.

10. The method defined in claim 9 further comprising the step of spacingsaid expansion ring from said other end a distance which is greater thanthe difference in the diameter of said expansion ring and said bodyportion whereby said central opening has a diameter less than thediameter of said body portion.

1. An inflation for use in a teat cup assembly for automatic milkingmachines employing a vacuum milk line and a vacuum pulsator, said cupassembly including a rigid substantially cylindrical outer shell havinga ledge extending around its inner periphery adjacent its upper enddefining an inflation seat, the improvement wherein said inflationcomprises an elongated hollow cup liner having a body portion adapted toreceive the teat of a cow, said body portion terminating at its lowerend in an outlet adapted to be attached to the vacuum milk line of amilking machine and at its upper end in a retaining diaphragm extendingsubstantially transverse to said body portion and having a centralopening therein coaxial with and having a diameter less than thediameter of said body portion, said body portion and said retainingdiaphragm being integrally molded from a single homogeneous mass ofresilient elastic material, and vent means integrally formed on saiddiaphragm for permitting the egress of air into said liner at the endpoint of milking, said vent means including a plurality of radiallyextending corrugations formed on said diaphragm whereby the periphery ofsaid central opening in undulated, said cup liner and said diaphragmbeing initially molded as portions of a unitary coaxiAl tube with saidbody portion and the diaphragm portion having substantially equalperipheries, said corrugations extending generally coaxially of saiddiaphragm portion whereby the mean diameter of said diaphragm portion issubstantially less than the diameter of said body portion, and anexpansion ring being mounted within said body portion whereby saiddiaphragm is deflected inwardly substantially transverse to thelongitudinal axis of said body portion.
 2. The inflation defined inclaim 1 wherein said vent means comprises a plurality of radiallyextending corrugations formed on said diaphragm whereby the periphery ofsaid central opening is undulated.
 3. The inflation defined in claim 1wherein said opening is said lower end has a periphery substantiallyless than the periphery of said body portion.
 4. In a teat cup assemblyfor an automatic milking machine of the type employing a vacuum milkline and a vacuum pulsator, said cup assembly including a rigid outercylindrical shell having an enlarged portion at the upper open endthereof defining an inflation seat and retaining ring, and a resilientinflation mounted coaxially within said cup and being retained on saidseat by said retaining ring, the improvement wherein said inflationcomprises an elongated hollow cup liner member integrally molded from asingle homogeneous mass of resilient elastic material, said linerincluding an open bottom end adapted to be connected to the vacuum milkline of the milking machine and a body portion adapted to receive theteat of a cow, said body portion terminating adjacent its top end in adiaphragm-forming segment having a plurality of axially extendingcorrugations formed therein, said corrugations being spaced around theperiphery of said body whereby the mean diameter of saiddiaphragm-forming portion is substantially reduced, and an expansionring having an outer periphery substantially larger than the internalperiphery of said body portion positioned in said portion in fixedspaced relation from said top end whereby said diaphragm-forming segmentis deflected inward substantially transversely to the longitudinal axisof said body portion to define a retaining diaphragm having an undulatedcentral opening therein defined by the open top end of said bodyportion, said undulated central opening being of a diameter less thanthe diameter of said body portion whereby at least a portion of saiddiaphragm adjacent said central opening is normally maintained under alight compressive force, said retaining diaphragm being adapted to bedeflected inwardly of said body portion to engage a cow''s teat at saidperiphery to retain the cup assembly from falling off the teat with saidcorrugations permitting the egress of air between the teat and said bodyportion at the end point of milking.
 5. The teat cup assembly defined inclaim 4 wherein the distance from said open top end to said expansionring is greater than the difference in the diameter of said expansionring and said body portion whereby the diameter of said central openingis normally less than the diameter of said body portion, saidcorrugations permitting said diaphragm to be readily deflected axiallyinward to expand said central opening to substantially the diameter ofsaid body portion to accommodate the teat of a cow.
 6. The teat cupassembly defined in claim 5 wherein the diameter of said bottom end issubstantially less than the diameter of said body portion.
 7. The teatcup assembly defined in claim 5 wherein there are at least four of saidcorrugations formed in said diaphragm portion.
 8. The teat cup assemblydefined in claim 5 wherein there are six of said corrugations in saiddiaphragm.
 9. A method of forming an inflation for use in a teat cupassembly of an automatic milking machine, comprising the steps ofmolding an elongated tubular member including a substantiallycylindrical body portion with an outlet at one end and a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced corrugations formed in its side walls at theother end thereof, said corrugations extending axially from the open endof said tubular member to define a diaphragm-forming portion at saidother end, the periphery of said diaphragm-forming portion beingsubstantially equal to that of said body portion with said corrugationsproducing a mean diameter of said diaphragm-forming portion which issubstantially less than the diameter of said body portion, andinstalling an annular expansion ring coaxially within said tubularmember adjacent the junction thereof with said diaphragm-formingportion, said expansion ring having a diameter substantially greaterthan the diameter of said body portion whereby said tubular member isradially expanded to form a head thereon to seat said inflation in arigid teat cup shell and to deform said diaphragm-forming portion into asubstantially disk-shaped diaphragm having a central opening thereincoaxial with said body portion, said corrugations producing an undulatedperiphery on said central opening.
 10. The method defined in claim 9further comprising the step of spacing said expansion ring from saidother end a distance which is greater than the difference in thediameter of said expansion ring and said body portion whereby saidcentral opening has a diameter less than the diameter of said bodyportion.